Spring



A ril 21, 1970 G. M. B IGHT 3,507,485

SPRING Filed Oct. 12, 1966 23 [F n g. 2

George M. BIiQIIgVENTOR.

BWWZW United States Patent 3,507,485 SPRING George M. Bright, 525 Page Ave. NE., Atlanta, Ga. 30307 Filed Oct. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 586,142 Int. Cl. F16f 1/14 U.S. Cl. 267-1 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spring which may be used to resist movement and to return substantially to original condition by means of opposed members which are connected at each of one end and which are in contact at resilient, compressible portions whereby when the members are brought together in contact there is a resilient resistance and when the force bringing the members into contact is released the members return substantially to original condition assuming there has been no permanent set or distortion. In one preferred form, the spring is made from a tube which is bent upon itself along a transverse bend line which serves as a movable connection between the two spring members that have the inside surfaces in contact at a point spaced from the transverse connection and there may be a gap or space between the connection and the point of contact.

This invention relates to mechanical springs, and particularly to single torsion mechanical springs.

The present invention is a new type of mechanical spring and operates on a new principle.

The present invention is a hollow or semihollow tube of a material which possesses flexibility and recovery and whose cross section is essentially a whole or partial hollow circle, oval, ellipse, polygon, or any similar geometric shape, with or without external or internal flanges or projections. Said tube is bent perpendicular to its longitudinal axis approximately 180 (back on itself) in such a manner that after bending and in free position the periphcry of said tube touches or nearly touches itself at some distance from the bend while the portions of said tube extending from the point of contact or close proximity away from said bend remain separated. When the extending portions of said tube are moved toward each other by an externally applied force, thus closing the spring, the closing is resisted by the opposing forces delivered by the walls of said tube against each other as they are flattened by each other where they are in physical contact with each other. Upon the removal of said externally applied force, said tube walls and the entire said tube recover to their respective free or rest positions, provided, of course, that said externally applied force has not caused any portion of said tube to take a permanent set.

The present invention is particularly useful and desirable because of its new and unique features, among which are these:

(a) it possesses greater longitudinal torsional stability than the old conventional solid thin flat or round wire;

(b) it is buoyant when made of a hollow tube;

(c) it becomes an integral part of a complete device such as a hand exercising device, nut cracker, pliers, tongs, or similar device, when its extending portions are designed to be or used as handles and/ or tools.

These features, other features, and the new mechanical 3,507,485 Patented Apr. 21, 1970 ice operating principle of the present invention will become apparent from consideration of the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the manufacture shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing of that embodiment here chosen by way of illustration, the spring is a round tube 10, whose free position configuration and shape after bending are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

To make, i.e., form, the spring, tube 10 is bent approximately (back on itself) at station 21 in such a manner that after bending:

(a) the portion of tube 10 at station 21 becomes the hinge portion of the spring;

(b) at station 22, which is some distance A from station 21, the periphery of tube 10 touches or nearly touches itself;

(0) extending portions 34 of tube 10 remain separated by some distance B at station 23, which is some distance C from station 21.

Attention is now directed to only FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawing, and the mechanical operating principle of this spring is explained as follows:

(a) To extending portions 34 of the tube 10 is applied at station 23 some external force P which tends to move extending portions 34 toward each other, i.e., tends to decrease distance B.

(b) As extending portions 34 move toward each other, the

periphery of tube 10 contacts itself at station 22.

(c) Further movement of extending portions 34 toward each other causes the walls of the tube 10 to flatten and/or depress each other in the vicinity of station 22.

(d) Said walls resist flattening or depressing and exert against each other in the vicinity of station 22 various outward radial counterforces, which here on paper are resolved into one and here referred to as counterforce P at station 22.

(e) Subparagraphs (a) through (d) above are summarized thusly: The applied external force F exerts on the spring moment FXC, and the spring exerts countermoment P A.

I claim:

1. In a spring: a spring means comprising a pair of diverging spring members connected at a converging end and each spring member having a convex resilient spring wall and each spring wall having a spring wall surface positioned so that one spring wall surface may be brought into contact with the other, said spring wall surfaces being forced into contact with each other when said spring members are closed about said connected end, said surfaces being resilient when in compression and said walls being bent inwardly tending to flatten the arcuate convex portion temporarily in compression as said surfaces are engaged to resist the closing of said spring members, thereby tending to recover when an applied force not causing permanent set or distortion is released.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein said members are formed by a tube bent upon itself.

3. The device in claim 2, wherein the tube is reduced in cross-sectional thickness at the connection as by flattening same.

4 4. The spring in claim 3, wherein said bent portion of I said tube is the connection between said members which References Cited inlggeisalgglllitt the transverse connection about which said UNITED STATES PATENTS 5. The device in claim 1, there being a space between 3,042,742 7/1962 Fostersaid members from said connection to said point of con- 5 3,073,565 1/ 1963 f ytact between said members. 3,137,889 6/1964 Sogolan- 6. The device in claim 5, said members being joined at each of one end thereof for movement about a trans- ARTHUR LA POINT Primary Exammer verse connection. 10 R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner 

